DIR and Solo Diving, Incompatible?

[billseamon]

WOW what a response. Had to get involved with my $0.02.
Reading this and the other post with 1500 replys (Trouble with LSD), I was thinking of the other new post of the poor guy who was reading the board to get his wife interested in scuba and ended up scaring her with all the problems.

First to the new diver, diving is such a great sport, and that is why I believe there is so much passion in the board responses. Get your wife diving, she will love it.

My thoughts on DIR. I have read their web page and have taken some of their advice. I personally have found that diving (or life in general) is not a black or white thing. There are gray areas. Anybody that tries to make things black or white I tend to not believe in. If I was going to get into deep, decompression, caves, or wreck diving, I would follow DIR and get involved with the group as this is the edge of the sport.

Diving to a max of 50 feet at Shaws cove (here is SoCal, where most of the checkouts occur), I don't believe DIR is necessary. To not dive with some new diver because he doesn't follow the DIR practices or equiptment (this diver is the most in need of an experienced buddy) but has rental gear from Sport Chalet is wrong and not good for the sport. If you what as much "Murphy Insurance" as DIR seems to require on a easy dive location, maybe diving is not for you.

I got certified in 1972 and when I thing of the #$%@ stuff we dove with back then, its a wonder I'm still here.

Also I liked the post about "draining the shallow end of the gene pool". Can I use that quote in the future? Thank.

 

[UWSojourner]

DIR = (3/4)/(3/4) pregnant...thus...DIR = 1 pregnant

If DIR = Pregnant, then IMAGINE a DIR delivery ...

1. Baby connected by a 5 to 7 ft umbilical cord.
2. Placenta attached to baby's back w/ 1 piece webbing
3. Has to be twin's - no solo
4. Poor baby has to have webbed feet - no splits for DIR
5. Can't just deliver the normal way - must be proficient in breach and cesarean also.
6. Baby will "float" a surface marker first before exiting the water.
7. DIR baby will refuse to be with other non-DIR babies in the hospital.
8. Parents name the new kid Hal - Hal C. Yon. Parents don't think he'll remember his name so they tatoo a big HAL C. YON prominently on him and all his toys.
9. Hal grows up strong, but quite litigious, and sues other smaller kids for playing with their toys in the same way he does. But of course, this is an American story.

 

[Snowbear]

IMAGINE a DIR delivery ...

Now THAT was funny!! Thanks, UW

 

[Spectre]

Would a PADI OW diver that followed 3/4's of the DIR program be a "safer" or "better" diver IYHO than one that did not follow any of that program's different teachings?

Assuming your taking the thread back in a serious direction...

It all depends on what exactly the parts that they have adopted are. For example, if they decided they would dive a 7' hose, but didn't adopt the s-drills, then it's possible that they will have no idea how to donate gas with a 7 foot hose, or neglect to check to make sure there is no obstructions if attempting to donate the 7 foot hose.

So adopting part of the system could actually make them a more dangerous diver rather then a safer diver, or it could be the other way around.

 

[MikeFerrara]

But...

While a DIR equipment configuration uses a long hose and GUE teaches students to do "S" drills. Long hoses and "S" drills were part of cave training before there was DIR.

The point is these examples aren't unique to DIR. Toanswer the question I think that it should be because...

Davers who learn to be good buddies are better off even if the're never DIR
Having good basic skills will make a diver safer even if theyér never DIR
and so on...

In a recreational environment it's usually easy to spot those who are DIR minded because they are among the few diving a Hogarthian equipment configuration and their skills are usually better than other around them. They stick out like a sore thumb.

In a cave though where there are many divers using a Hogarthian configuration and have great skills it's a little harder to know one when you see them. Now...all these divers are benefiting from part of the system. At this level maybe even all of the system that applies.

Here you have to start looking at the more subtle things to see a difference. Are they diving standard gasses? How are they calculating and conducting decompression? And BTW, the two go together.

You may have to look at pocket contents or ask whether they plan thirds on stages or 1/2+200

The lines have started to get blury.

On the other hand the WKPP has specific protocols that maybe kind of top the whole thing off but the average diver who doesn't ever get to that level may never see those.

Backing up a little to the issue of standard gasses and how decompression is calculated...IMO, some of the planning techniques that GUE teaches are some of their absolute most valuable contributions. The process is simplified to the point of being a real thing of beauty. Here again though unless a diver moves on to technical diving they may never really see how this all fits together. Even here though others have picked up on the same or similar techniques and benefit from them.

 

[bwerb]

I still think we need to rewind...

7 dives...I'll assume that this includes the 4 OW dives for certification...so...a total of 3 lifetime dives post certification and you are worried about solo photography?

Whoa...full stop.

Get in the water with a buddy, preferably one with more experience than yourself and spend some time learning to dive. Learn about bouyancy, fin control, breathing rates, ascent parameters, dive planning etc.

A DIRF would be a useful course if one is available near you even if it's purely for skills development. You would have the opportunity to perhaps start with a blank slate and learn these skills without the added baggage of "I've always done it this way."

I'm sorry but you have no business doing solo photography with your stated dive experience.

 

[Zippsy]

Assuming your taking the thread back in a serious direction...

I was - which is rare for me

It all depends on what exactly the parts that they have adopted are. For example, if they decided they would dive a 7' hose, but didn't adopt the s-drills, then it's possible that they will have no idea how to donate gas with a 7 foot hose, or neglect to check to make sure there is no obstructions if attempting to donate the 7 foot hose.

So adopting part of the system could actually make them a more dangerous diver rather then a safer diver, or it could be the other way around.

Thanks for the reply. Obviously the parts adopted would have to be "whole parts" so you make a very good point. In your example, it's likely that if I wanted to use a 7' hose, I'd have to learn how to use it properly, how to wear it, practice, etc. But I bet I could probably learn to do these things even if I didn't use a SMB or if I used a back-inflated BCD.

My point is that if I did the above, I'd probably be a "better" diver than if I didn't. At the same time, I would not say I am a DIR diver but I don't care about that.

 

[Spectre]

My point is that if I did the above, I'd probably be a "better" diver than if I didn't. At the same time, I would not say I am a DIR diver but I don't care about that.

Now you're learning.

 

[Zippsy]

Now you're learning.

Grrrrrrr. I'm only learning to express myself better. That's been my point all along.